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Henderson James
| continuity = The Outer Limits | image = | type = | race = | gender = | base of operations = | known relatives = Laura James (wife) | status = | born = | died = | 1st appearance = Outer Limits: The Duplicate Man | actor = Ron Randell }} Henderson James was a fictional scientist and the main character featured in the "The Duplicate Man" episode of the original The Outer Limits. He was played by actor Ron Randell. Biography Henderson James was a wealthy scientist who lived during the early 21st century. His specialty was in universal communication and he developed his talents while studying various extraterrestrial species. Some alien life forms had been banned from the planet Earth however due to their inherent savagery. One such species was the Cygnian Megasoid, a sentient, telepathic creature known for it's instinctive need to kill. In 2009, James hired a pilot named Karl Emmett to take him out to capture a Megasoid and smuggle it back to Earth. The mission was successful, but not without consequence. Emmett was severely mauled by the creature and forced to wear a protective cover over the right side of his face. James kept the Megasoid in a cottage laboratory on his estate for more than two years. In 2011, his gardener accidentally left the door to the lab unlocked and the Megasoid escaped. Henderson had to take immediate action to recapture it, but had to so discretely as it was a criminal offense to have a Megasoid on Earth. He also knew that the Megasoid was entering it's reproductive cycle and would be more dangerous than ever. Lacking the courage to hunt the creature down on his own, Henderson sought the aid of a retired geneticist named Basil Jerichau. Jerichau and James had met one another in 2010 at a symposium on Cygnian psychology. He asked him to use his resources to create a black market clone of himself so he can send it out to hunt the Megasoid. Jerichau knew that such a deed came at great risk and demanded $100,000 for his services. The clone was created and encountered the Megasoid at an intergalactic space zoo. The alien escaped however and Henderson James learned later that his duplicate had failed in his mission. He went to visit Karl Emmett, who told him that the duplicate had come to his suite earlier to tell him about the search for the Megasoid. Henderson grew concerned, for the longer the duplicate remained alive, the greater the chances that it would develop sentience. Associated stimuli would prompt a reconstitution of memory and he would soon develop into a perfect duplicate of James. His worst fears came to pass as the clone began recalling elements from his past - in particular, the passion he once felt for his wife, Laura. Laura knew that the duplicate was not her real husband, but she couldn't deny how she felt about the clone. The Megasoid eventually made it's way to the James estate and burst through the window of the study. James fired his gun at the creature and followed him out into the front yard to finish him off. The monster was killed, but only of the two men survived. One of them walked back into the house to embrace Laura. Outer Limits: The Duplicate Man Notes & Trivia * Ron Randell also played the role of his clone. The easiest way to distinguish the two characters is indicated by how they style their hair. The real Henderson James combs his hair straight back, while the duplicate brushes his hair to the left. * There is some ambiguity over which Henderson James is killed at the end of the episode. It is implied that the real James survives and it is the duplicate that gives his life to fight the Megasoid. References ---- Category:Scientists Category:Smugglers